In a statement, Beebe said the legislation “blatantly contradicts the United States Constitution, as interpreted by the Supreme Court.” In its Planned Parenthood v. Casey ruling, the Supreme Court upheld a woman’s right to obtain an abortion prior to 22-weeks of pregnancy.

“When I was sworn in as Governor I took an oath to preserve, protect, and defend both the Arkansas Constitution and the Constitution of the United States. I take that oath seriously,” the governor added.

The Republican-led legislature approved the Arkansas Human Heartbeat Protection Act last week. Supporters of the legislation said the state should prohibit abortion once an ultrasound was able to detect the heartbeat of a fetus.

About the Author

Eric W. Dolan has served as an editor for Raw Story since August 2010,
and is based out of Sacramento, California. He grew up in the suburbs
of Chicago and received a Bachelor of Science from Bradley University.
Eric is also the publisher and editor of the psychology news website PsyPost. You can follow him on
Twitter @ewdolan.